Clasp for bags.



E. L. PERSONS.

CLASP FOR BAGS.

APPLIOATION IILED 00124, 1914.

1, 1 29,599. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

W I TNESSES: IN V EN TOR,

157726.}? 1;. Pair/0m ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PHOTO-unto WASHINGION, n. L,

ERNEST L. PERSONS, 0F I-IOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLASP non BAGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed October 24, 1914. Serial No. 868,406.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST L. PERSONS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Bags, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in looks or fastenings for the hinged frame members or jaws of ladies wrist bags, satchels, wallets and the like, the object being to devise a fastening which is of simple construction, reliable and efficient in character, and susceptible of being easily operated for the purposed unlocking or locking of the receptacle.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a sectional view centrally and vertically through the bag frame members, locked. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in unlocked position whereby the frame members may be opened. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. t is a perspective view for illustrating a novel part of the device to be hereinafter referred to.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 represent a pair of frame bag members hinge connected as indicated at 3 at their extremities and being cross sectionally of inverted cross shape as especially represented in Figs. 1 and 2. The adjacent inner side walls 4 and 5 of the trough shaped frame members at the middle portion thereof have alining transverse apertures 6 and 7 and the top wall 8 of the member 2 has an aperture 9 therethrough leading into the space therebelow. The said member 2 is provided with an upstanding yoke-shaped bracket 10 which straddles the aperture 9.

12 represents a spring hook ended latch carried by the frame member 1, the same extending through the side wall aperture 6, of said member 1 and also extending for a snap catch locking engagement through the side wall aperture 7 in the adjoining frame member 2. The spring 13 is provided to exert a depressing force to the latch, the shank of which latch is, itself, more or less resilient.

14: represents a substantially vertically arranged plate movable through the aperture 9 in the top wall of the member 2, the lower portion thereof being formed with an aperture 15 by which portion it has an embracing engagement with the hook ended portion of the latch which protrudes into the space inclosed by the trough shaped upper portion of the member 2.

16 represents a lever which is intermediately pivotally supported on the aforementioned yoke shaped bracket 10; and to the arm 17 of said lever which normally extends downwardly below the horizontal member of the yoke 10, the upper end of said plate 1 1 is pivotally connected. The lever is advantageously madeof comparatively thin sheet metal, the lower end portion of which is slitted longitudinally so that cars or pivot eyes 18, 18, are produced for the pivotally joining or hanging of the lever on the yoke 10 and so that an intermediate and more downwardly extended portion forms the lever arm 17, the extremity of which by the bending of the metal forms an eye for the pivotal engagement therewith of the upper end of the plate 14 on which are formed knuckles.

For a womans wrist bag the loop or handle may be fastened to the upwardly extending portion of the lever 16.

IVhen the bag frame members 1 and 2 are forced together to closed position they are automatically locked or latched; to unlock them the lever 16 is downwardly swung more or less as represented in Fig. 2 with the effect of raising the plate 14 causing the elevation of the spring latch so that its hook ended portion is above the margin of the aperture through which the latch protrudes whereby the hinge members are free to be opened.

I claim v 1. In a device of the character described, a pair of bag frame members, hinged together, both having alining transverse apertures, a spring latch carried by one of the frame members extending through the aperture thereof and through the aperture of the other member and having normally a locking engagement with the margin of the latter aperture, a lever pivotally mounted above the edge of one of the frame members, a plate or bar pivoted to said lever, having an engagement with said latch, and movable upon the swinging of the lever to force the latch to unlocking position to permit the hinged frame members to be opened.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of hinge-connected bag frame members of inverted trough-shape, the adjacent side walls of which have alining transverse apertures, and the top wall of one thereof having an aperture therethrough, a spring latch carried by one of the frame members, extending through the side wall aperture thereof and extending for a locking engagement through the side wall aperture of the adjoining frame member, a vertically arranged plate movable through the topwallapertured member, a lower portion thereof having an engagement with said latch, a

lever, intermediately pivotally supported by the top-wall-apertured member, above the upper edge thereof, with an arm of which lever the upper portion of said plate is pivotally connected.

3. In a device of the character described, a pair of hinge-connected bag frame members of inverted trough-shape, the adjacent side walls of which have alining transverse apertures, and the top wall of one of which has an aperture therethrough, and is provided with an upstanding yoke shaped bracket, a spring latch carried by one of the frame members, extending through the side wall aperture thereof and extending for a locking engagement through the side wall aperture of the adjoining frame member, a vertically arranged plate movable through the top-wall-apertured member, a

lower portion thereof having an engagement with said latch, a lever, intermediately pivotally supported on said yoke shaped bracket with an arm of which lever the upper portion of said plate is pivotally connected.

4:. In a device of the character described, a pair of hinge-connected bag frame members of inverted trough-shape, the adjacent side walls of which have alining transverse apertures, and the top wall of one of which has an aperture therethrough, and is provided with an upstanding yoke shaped bracket, a spring hook ended latch carried by one of the frame members, extending through the side wall aperture thereof and extending for a locking engagement through the side wall aperture of the adjoining,

frame member, a vertically arranged plate movable through the top-wall-apertured member, a lower portion thereof being formed apertured and having an embracing engagement with the hook ended portion of the latch, a lever, intermediately pivotallysupported on said yoke shaped bracket, with an arm of which lever the upper portion of said plate is pivotally connected.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST L. PERSONS. Witnesses:

G. R. DRISCOLL, WVM. S. BELLows.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents.

Washington, D. C. 

